Cate Blanchett has proven time and time again to be a chameleon of the highest order, able to disappear into any role she takes on. Just remembering this helps affirm just how awesome it is that the Academy Award-winning actress has now signed on to play Lucille Ball in an upcoming biopic.
But wait, it gets better. The Wrap is reporting that the newly-in-development project is being scripted by none other than Aaron Sorkin, whose work we'll see back on the big screen in a couple months when Steve Jobs arrives. No director has been hired yet, but the children of the film's subject, Lucy Arnaz Jr. and Desi Arnaz Jr., are on-board as producers.
The film doesn't have a title yet, but it will center on a very important time in Lucille Ball's life: her 20-year marriage to Desi Arnaz. It was during this time that they starred together on the universally beloved sitcom I Love Lucy - one it's not hard to imagine a good chunk of the film taking place on the set of that show (let's not forget that the writer is the guy behind Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Newsroom). At this time, it's unclear exactly how the timeline will unfold over the course of the movie, but if Sorkin's scripts for The Social Network and Steve Jobs are any indication, there will be some kind of non-linear/intricately-structured nature to it.
Thus far in 2015, Cate Blanchett has been rather successful - as she had a key role in Kenneth Branagh's blockbuster Cinderella, and earned rave reviews for her turn as the notorious wicked stepmother. She's also expected to once again be in the Oscar race this year, and possibly for two different roles. The first is director James Vanderbilt's Truth, which goes behind the scenes of the 2004 60 Minutes report about George W. Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard. The second is director Todd Haynes' Patricia Highsmith adaptation Carol, which co-stars Rooney Mara and centers on their lesbian relationship in 1950s New York.
As The Wrap points out, Cate Blanchett has already had a tiny bit of success playing a Hollywood icon. In 2004 she collaborated with director Martin Scorsese on the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator - and the filmmaker cast her as the legendary Katharine Hepburn. Her performance earned much more than just critical praise, as she wound up walking away with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress that year.
From the trade report, it seems as though this Lucille Ball/Dezi Arnez film is still in the early stages of development, which means it could be a while before we see it actualized. That being said, we'll be waiting with baited breath.
